Annecy: Netflix Teases ‘Stranger Things’ Animated Show and Alex Woo’s ‘In Your Dreams’ Feature

Celebrating over 10 years of animated series and features, the Next on Netflix showcase at this year’s Annecy Festival looked to the past as much as it looked to the near future. Among a couple sizzle reels showing off previous successes, time was made to highlight the work behind Stranger Things spinoff series, Tales From ‘85, as well as the directorial debut from former Pixar staffer Alex Woo called In Your Dreams.

However, the most big-picture announcement of the night was the official formation of Netflix Animation Studios comprising the streamer’s Burbank, Sydney and Vancouver offices, complete with a new logo. Netflix’s Head of Feature Animation Hannah Minghella followed up by saying, “We have the rare freedom to display unique voices and visions free from the limitations of a house style.”

Bigger Heads & Sculpted Faces

Exemplifying the lack of house style (despite being animated by Australia’s Flying Bark Productions was the footage of Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 which shoots for a creepy, stylized CG look inspired by ’80s Saturday morning cartoons as well as young adult horror such as the works of R.L Stine. The characters from the live-action series return with bigger heads and sculpted puppet-like faces. The medium of animation is used to strengthen both the neon and gothic aesthetics from the live action show, pushing them to their absolute limit through painterly textures.

Series creator Eric Robles listed a barrage of influences ranging from cartoons like He-Man and Scooby-Doo to ’80s sci-Fi and fantasy titles like E.T. and The Lost Boys. His strongest influence was taken from blockbuster spin-off The Real Ghostbusters. “It was silly and fun but with a handful of episodes that were really dark,” he explained to the Bonlieu audience. “That became the north star of the series.”

Initially conceptualized as a 2D series, Robles decided to switch courses to CG for a more realistic look, something that could heighten the stakes of the film, “There’s a lot of danger, not everybody will survive.” A major visual influence was the work of Meybis Ruiz Cruz who was discovered through her Stranger Things fan art. For Robles, “Her art captured the perfect blend of style and realism” needed for the show.

Fears from 1985

Enlisting Carlos Huante, a renowned creature designer known for his work on blockbusters like ET and Prometheus, was a key to bringing to life the Lovecraftian monsters-of-the-week that the show will boast. Footage was shown of a mutated venus flytrap constricting the Stranger Things crew with its vines. Though aimed at young adults, Tales from ‘85 doesn’t seem to shy away from a darker tone. As Robles put it himself, “I wanted to share my fears with all of you.” Tales from ‘85 is set for release in 2026.

Breaking up the presentation was a sizzle reel of Netflix projects where sneak peeks of upcoming projects were shown. From Sony’s KPop Demon Hunters, the audience was treated to a hybrid fight-concert scene as the pop star trio fought their way through a gang of demons before arriving in front of their adoring fans. Footage of this fall’s Roald Dahl adaptation The Twits displayed a kinetic trip through the titular duo’s contraption-laden house, while Skydance Animation’s upcoming feature Pookoo (directed by Nathan Greno) boasted some lush, vibrant underwater animation with a charming otter-like protagonist at its center.

Alex Woo’s Beautiful ‘Dream’

Another Netflix feature, In Your Dreams, was given a longer moment in the spotlight with director Alex Woo, VFX supervisor Nicola Lavender and production designer Steve Pilcher who talked the audience through some clips. The film has a realistic CG style applied to a variety of fantasy worlds such as a sand kingdom and a town populated by breakfast foods. The latter is particularly inventive, with houses made of milk cartons and a floor made of thick oatmeal. At the center of the story is Stevie and Elliott, two siblings who want to be transported to the dream world in search of the mythical Sandman. Also featured was the bed which the pair use to transition to the dream world. Acting as a conscious companion on the adventure, it’s animated like a dog with charming realism.

Woo left Pixar to form his own company, Kuku Studios, with an ambition to “tell stories that make you cry tears of pathos and laughter,” as he told the Annecy crowd. He also stressed the size of the task at hand, saying “A movie about dreams has been a white whale in animation because it’s one of those big human experiences that hasn’t been done yet. The big challenge is that anything can happen, so you don’t have stakes. By some miracle, we cracked it.”

Through the fantasy, Woo was keen to keep the film grounded, “We have a wide range of emotions that we hit underneath it all, so we needed an animation style that allowed us to express those in a believable way, even more so for the fantasy characters.”

Before the presentation came to a close, Woo was keen to thank Netflix, saying, “This is an original, and that’s so rare these days,” and expressed the core philosophy of the film: “Sometimes you have to let go of the dream version of what life should be and embrace what life is.” In Your Dreams is slated for a fourth-quarter release on the streamer. Check out Animation Magazine on Thursday morning to catch the movie’s charming trailer.